Find out what life was like in 1776 and celebrate Independence Day at the New-York Historical Society!

MEET BEN FRANKLIN AND OTHER 18TH CENTURY AMERICANS
10am - 6 pm
Speak with Benjamin Franklin firsthand about his experiments with lightning and electricity, his inventions, and his involvement with Congress in drafting the Declaration of Independence. Listen to the fun and interactive stories and songs about eighteenth-century life from the Hudson River Ramblers, who will be entertaining visitors throughout the museum and children’s galleries.

INDEPENDENCE DAY SCAVENGER HUNT
Hunt high and low in the New-York Historical Society on our scavenger hunt celebrating our nation’s independence. Families will search for the horse tail from King George’s statue, George Washington’s cot, and other 4th of July treasures. When finished, enter our raffle for Liberty the Dog!

HISTORY OF ICE CREAM
12pm – 4 pm
I scream, you scream! Come explore the history of this sweet treat in the United States and help us crank up batches of 17th century "icey creams." Families will smell unfamiliar flavors, use nineteenth-century ice tongs, nip and grind a sugarloaf, and handle a "penny lick" cup in addition to hand-cranking and tasting some old-fashioned ice cream.

FROM COLONY TO NATION: 200 YEARS OF AMERICAN PAINTING
10am – 6pm exhibition on view daily through September 8
Meet America’s founders and see how our nation evolved following the Revolution in this exhibition of art-historical treasures. Portraits of Washington, Jefferson, Hamilton, and Lafayette portray the heroes of the Revolutionary generation. Relive the bicentennial of the War of 1812— America’s “Second War of Independence”— in paintings of famous naval battles, ships and commanders. Throughout the exhibition, scenic paintings from John Trumbull’s 1808 epic panoramas of Niagara Falls to Childe Hassam’s 1918 Flags on 57th Street celebrate the majesty of America’s natural features and its cities.